The Jewish Museum of Australia was established in 1977 by a group of passionate and dedicated volunteers, led by the visionary Rabbi Ronald Lubofsky AM (1928-2000). During the Museum’s first years of existence, the Committee, organised exhibitions at the Myer gallery and the Tramways Board building, started to acquire objects for the Museum’s collection, and searched for premises for the museum.
In 1982, under the patronage of Sir Zelman Cowen (1919-2011), the Museum opened its own temporary premises in the disused classrooms of the Melbourne Hebrew Congregation, South Yarra. Over the next 13 years at that location, the Jewish Museum of Australia presented over forty wide-ranging exhibitions, several of which travelled nationally. The Museum attracted significant communal support and won several prestigious industry awards.
In 1992 the Jewish Museum of Australia purchased a building in Alma Road, St Kilda opposite one of Melbourne’s most beautiful synagogues, the St Kilda Hebrew Congregation. On 20 August 1995, the then Governor General, Bill Hayden, officially opened the Jewish Museum of Australia, Gandel Centre of Judaica, named in honour of the Museum’s lead benefactors, John and Pauline Gandel.
Mission statement
We engage people with Jewish culture in order to:
– help Jews become proud of, connected to and knowledgeable about their heritage;
– promote understanding and appreciation of Jewish culture and people in the wider community; and
– build a society in which cultural diversity and difference is embraced and respected.
Our values
1. Community
2. Pluralism
3. Learning
4. Creativity
5. Quality
Key result areas
Building bridges
Activities that deliberately bridge communities
Relevance & responsiveness
Listening and responding to the community’s needs and interests
Access to our collection
Creative and compelling ways to access our collection, on-site and on-line
Visitation and participation
Widen and deepen, on-site and on-line
Engaged staff and volunteers
Appreciated, motivated and contributing
Relationships for the future
Relationship-building as the basis of financial security